The present invention relates to a preservation container for food and the like, and more particularly, relates to a preservation container for food and the like that is capable of prolonging a preservation period of food and the like.
With the progress of the trends toward the nuclear family and the decrease in number of children, it has been often employed a way in that a large amount of perishable food is purchased at a time and it is consumed over a certain period of time. In the case of food stuffs that are difficult to be prepared in a small amount, there are cases where an amount thereof for several meals has been prepared at a time and it is consumed by small portions over a certain period of time. In such a treatment of food, it is preferred to preserve food and the like in a long period of time without substantial spoilage, and thus it is an important problem how to preserve food and the like in a long period of time.
Food in the form of dry provisions, such as dry laver, medical herbs, dry confectionery and the like, has a property in that it is spoiled by absorbing moisture when it is allowed to stand in a long period of time. Therefore, in this case, it is also an important problem how to preserve in a long period of time without spoiling the original taste thereof.
It is general that prepared food set at a hotel, a restaurant, a school lunch and the like is prepared on having a meal. However, in the case where a large amount of orders have been previously received, and the menu has been fixed, it is generally often employed a method where a large amount of food has been previously prepared and preserved, which is used by opening a package on setting because the setting is delayed when prepared immediately before having the meal. In this case, while a longer period of time from the preparation to the setting makes easy the management of the food, there is a problem in that a long period of time cannot be applied since degrading and spoilage of the food proceed when the period is too long.
It is a current topic that a poison and the like are mixed on preserving prepared food to cause a large number of casualties. However, it has been difficult to prevent such an incident by previously detecting the mixed poison in the conventional preservation method.
Pollution of the global environment by wastes from homes is a current problem, and the wastes include spoiled food that has been preserved, used empty bottles and empty cans of bottled food and canned food, and the like. A large cost is being consumed to treat the wastes in local public organizations, and there is a strong demand of decreasing the cost.
An object of the invention is to solve the problems associated with the conventional art and to provide a preservation container for food and the like that is capable of preserving food in a long period of time without spoiling food.
Another object of the invention is to provide a preservation container for food and the like, by which the formation of wastes caused by spoilage of food, wastes of used container, and the like is suppressed, so as to suppress as possible the costs of an incinerating equipment for treating the wastes and recovering the wastes.
A further object of the invention is to provide a preservation container for food and the like, by which used empty bottles and empty cans of bottled food and canned food can be subjected to effective reuse without wasting, so as to contribute to conservation of the environment.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a preservation container for food and the like, by which in the case where a food package is opened without permission during the preservation thereof, such a fact can be easily confirmed to prevent an accident.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a lid member for sealing and/or a sheet for sealing utilized as a part of a preservation container for food and the like.
A preservation container for food and the like of the invention attaining the objects is characterized by comprising a sealable container having an opening at a part thereof, and a gas non-permeable sheet arranged outside the opening, the sheet having an area larger than the opening and having a vent hole at a position offset to the opening, wherein the sheet is curved and deformed at a part corresponding to the opening, and a peripheral part thereof around the opening is adhered and maintained on a surface of the container by pressure reduction of an interior of the container. More preferably, the container comprises a container main body and a lid, and the opening is provided in the lid. It is preferred that the container main body comprises a bottle comprising one of glass and plastics.
According to the preservation container of the invention, since food is contained and subjected to a reduced pressure condition, oxidation spoilage of the food can be delayed by decreasing active oxygen inside the container. Because the increase of bacteria and the like are prevented by the decrease of active oxygen, food and the like can be stably preserved in a long period of time without spoilage. By such preservation in a long period of time, formation of kitchen garbage due to spoilage of food and the like is suppressed, so as to contribute to reduction in the cost for treating the garbage.
Furthermore, the taste of food can be changed by making the interior of the container into a reduced pressure condition. For example, when vegetables and the like are preserved with a small amount of salt to make light pickles, light pickles can be obtained in an extremely short period of time in comparison to the time required for forming ordinary light pickles, and furthermore the taste can be made delicate. When liquors, such as Japanese sake, wine, shochu and the like, or drinks and food containing a sweetening agent are preserved, stimulative acidity or strong sweetness is disappeared from the liquors or drinks and food, and the taste can be changed very delicate.
When the interior is made a reduced pressure condition, the sheet arranged on the outer surface of the lid is curved and deformed toward the inside at the opening, and thus it can be easily confirmed as to whether or not the package is opened without permission during the preservation by observing the presence or absence of the curved deformation. Furthermore, the lid cannot be opened with a small force since it is sealed under a reduced pressure condition, and thus the presence or absence of the unauthorized opening can be known by the extent of the resistance force on opening.
When the container main body is constituted as a bottle, to which a lid is connected to the bottle by screwing, an empty bottle, which has been a waste, can be reused as the container main body as far as the dimension of the screw part is the same, so as to contribute suppress of waste pollution. Furthermore, when the container main body is constituted with a can without unevenness and deformation at the upper end thereof, and a packing material for sealing the lid is in contact with the hole body, an empty can, which has been a waste, can be reused as the container main body.